WELL , 2015 has arrived and Christmas seems to have come and gone too quickly, so we have a New Year to make a new start, if we need to, or make sure we achieve those things we have always wanted to.

Here at the Palace we continue in our desire to make a difference and to be the best we can.

We have had some hiccups over the last few weeks and most are sorted, but we still have an issue with the heating in screen one to resolve which came to light over the Christmas cold spell.

We will be addressing that this week – we don’t want anyone to go away cold. I have been making some technical changes behind the scenes as well, to make us slightly more energy efficient and a smoother operation where we can.

There has been an unprecedented run of great films in such a short time over Christmas and New Year.

Paddington has been the out and out success and had we known we would have kept more shows in.

Night At the Museum 3, unusually for a third film in a series, is really worth watching, I can’t help feeling they have opened it up for a new series of adventures either in the Natural History Museum or at some other similar museum around the world.

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies has had to have a rest but we want to bring it back as soon as we possibly can.

The next show at the Milton Rooms, in Malton, is Robin Hood, presented by Malton and Norton Musical Theatre from January 16 to 24. This is the annual panto, written this year by Scott Garnham.

After the panto there is Martin Heaton – singer/songwriter playing folk rock and country blues, which sounds a real eclectic mix. It will take place on Friday, February 6.

Films we have watched, having to pick our moments so as not to take up a patron’s seat, are The Theory of Everything and Unbroken.

The Theory of Everything is absolutely sensational, which describes the life of Jane Hawking, as it is the story taken from her autobiography. Stephen is clearly such a part of her life that it chronicles his life as well.

We meet Stephen first and quickly in the film the couple meet. We see how devoted they are and how Jane is determined to give her love the life she can and shows enormous determination so he can manage some of the adversities of his disease.

The whole film is exquisite with superb performances from Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones as Jane Hawking.

Jane is obviously totally absorbed by her family which leaves little for herself, but there is one scene after the third baby is born that reaffirms her total devotion and fidelity with Stephen.

I loved the way that, by default, Stephen the atheist proved that God exists and then set about proving the opposite. Maxine Peake makes an appearance as the second Mrs Hawking and showed the way that Stephen had to communicate before the famous artificial voice was heard.

There is, understandably, not much about the second marriage as the film comes from Jane’s autobiography. There was an interesting interview with Jane on Good Morning Sunday on Radio 2, if you do the listen again thing on the web.

The whole film is a moving delight and The Theory of Everything is well worth watching to find out about the great woman and the great man.

The second film we have seen is Unbroken and I have to say that this is an excellent portrayal of what clearly must have gone on during the war in Japan.

I found it a little slow and extremely harrowing. There were many scenes where the cruelty was portrayed with, what to me, seemed realism.

The development of the story is determined to tell it as it happened and give the room it needed to. There were flashbacks to develop the rigidity of Louie’s character. To be sent on a mission with such poor equipment that caused their ultimate capture seemed unlikely but was clearly true.

To see Louie as he was and his achievement at the Japanese Olympics was heart warming.

I thought it a strange time to have released Unbroken which, although a good story, I don’t feel has a very Christmassy feel – at another time it might have got better attention.

 

Films continuing this week

Paddington (PG and number three in the top 10) stays for weekends only now.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (12A and number one in the top 10) will be back for weekends at least in a week or so The Theory of Everything (12A and number two in the top 10) plays for another week at least. Joining our schedule this week is Into The Woods (PG) starting on Friday – did I mention that my daughter made some of the costumes and has a credit and Caroline and I will be looking out for it – oh I did. Clearly getting a bit too excited.

Another film we are playing is Taken 3 (12A) This looks really interesting as the tables are reversed as are some of the lines. Liam Neesom hasn’t taken a bad part as far as I am concerned.

 

Live stage productions

Next on stage is NT Live: Treasure Island (12A) on Thursday, January 22. This is Robert Louis Stevenson’s story, Jim, the inn-keeper’s granddaughter, at the centre of the story.

The ROH Live production of the Opera Andrea Chenier (12A) Thursday, January 29. Then on Wednesday, February 11, we will be showing the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production – Love’s Labour’s Lost (12A) live.